Different standard keyboard arrangements are known. The most widely used English-language alphabetic key arrangement is the QWERTY arrangement, as shown in FIGS. 1 & 5. Other types of standard English-language alphabetic key arrangements include the QWERTZ arrangement, shown in FIG. 2, the AZERTY arrangement, shown in FIG. 3, and the DVORAK arrangement, shown in FIG. 4. Alphabetic key arrangements 44 are often presented along with numeric key arrangements. An exemplary numeric key arrangement is shown in FIGS. 1–4, where the numbers 1–9 and 0 are positioned above the alphabetic keys. In another known numeric key arrangement, numbers share keys with the alphabetic characters, such as the top row of the QWERTY keyboard. Yet another exemplary numeric key arrangement is shown in FIG. 5, where a numeric keypad 46 is spaced from the alphabetic/numeric key arrangement. The numeric keypad 46 includes the numbers “7”, “8”, “9” arranged in a top row, “4”, “5”, “6” arranged in a second row, “1”, “2”, “3” arranged in a third row, and “0” in a bottom row, consistent with what may be found on a known computer keyboard keypad.
A numeric phone key arrangement 42 is also known, as shown in FIG. 6. Phone keypads also often include alphabetic key arrangements overlaying or coinciding with the numeric keys, as shown in FIG. 7. Such alphanumeric phone keypads are used in many traditional hand held mobile communication devices, such as cellular handsets. One standard setting body, the International Telecommunications Union (“ITU”), has established phone standards for the arrangement of alphanumeric keys. The standard phone numeric key arrangement shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 corresponds to ITU Standard E. 161, entitled “Arrangement of Digits, Letters, and Symbols on Telephones and Other Devices That Can Be Used for Gaining Access to a Telephone Network.” This standard is also known as ANSI TI.703-1995/1999 and ISO/IEC 9995-8:1994.
Mobile communication devices that include a combined text-entry keyboard and a telephony keyboard are also known. Examples of such mobile communication devices include mobile stations, cellular telephones, wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), two-way paging devices, and others. Combining a traditional-style text-entry keyboard (e.g., a QWERTY-style keyboard) with a traditional-style telephony keyboard on the same mobile communication device typically involves undesirable ergonomic and/or intuitive user interface compromises.
One prior art device that incorporates a combined alphabetic/numeric keyboard is the RIM Blackberry 950 mobile communication device, shown in FIG. 8. In this device, numeric characters share keys with alphabetic characters on the top row of the QWERTY keyboard. Another prior art device that incorporates a combined alphabetic/numeric keyboard is the RIM Blackberry 6210 mobile communication device, shown in FIG. 9. This device utilizes numeric characters in a numeric phone key arrangement consistent with the ITU Standard E. 161, discussed above. The numeric characters share keys with alphabetic characters on the left side of the keyboard.
An example of a mobile communication device having a keyboard assembly with a key arrangement is described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/967,536 and 10/302,242 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,442, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,052 to Kato et al. and PCT Publication No. WO 02/088920 A1 to Kato et al. teach a data entry device in the form of a screen display key input unit that utilizes a reduced QWERTY arrangement on a touch screen keyboard. Numbers are overlaid on a selective number of alphabetic keys. Keys are selected by touching the screen of the display with a pen, or by utilizing a mouse.
Mobile communication devices currently utilize predictive text technologies to automatically correct common spelling errors and predict the desired word based upon the keystroke input. Predictive text methodologies often include a disambiguation engine and/or a predictive editor application. A number of U.S. and foreign patents discuss predictive text procedures, including: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,818,437, 5,952,942, 6,002,390, 6,223,059, 6,231,252, and 6,307,548; WO62150A1; WO9959310A2; WO0344650A2; EP1035712B1; EP129621A1; EP1378817A1; EP1347362A1; and EP1347361A1, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Several mobile communication device manufacturers utilize predictive text technologies, including RIM, Tegic, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, and NEC, among others.